关于“楚贝”的起源,钱币学家一致认为是模仿“海贝而演变的,并对贝面上的文字也作了多种解释,如“贝化”“各六朱”“行”“君”“忻”等等.本文仅对“楚贝”的起源提点粗浅的看法,以教于学术界前辈.“楚贝”是楚国流通使用的货币之一.其形状上宽下窄,面凸起,背平素,面上模铸阴文“(?)”“(?)”等俗称“鬼脸钱”和“蚁鼻钱”.当时诸候各国兑相称霸,在生产力、生产方式、文化、军事等方面都不断地向前发展,货币也正是在这种情况下日趋成熟,形成有各自特色的货币形态.被后人称之为四大钱币体系:布钱体系,流通于黄河中游的三晋地区,从农耕地区的“铲”演变而来;刀币体系,主要流行于齐燕赵三国,是从手工业工具“削”演变而来的;圜钱体系,是由纺轮发展而来;楚币体系,流行于长江中下游及淮河流域.从这四种钱币的发展体系来看,前三种无疑是从劳动中产生的,是模仿劳动生产工具的,在“古代西部是以农殖为主,所以以农具为货币,东部近海,多从事渔猎,所以以刀为货币”.而楚币呢?它即不是模仿农业工具也不是从手 With regard to the origin of the “Chu Bei”, the numismatics agreed that it was an imitation of “seashells and that they also made a variety of explanations of the characters on the surface, such as Beihua, Liuzhu, Jun ”,“ Xin ”, etc. This article only gives a superficial view on the origins of“ Chu Bei ”to teach the elders in the academic field.“ Chu Bei ”is one of the currencies used by Chu for circulation. (“)” (?) “And other commonly known as” grimace money “and” ants nose nose money. “At that time, the various countries dominated the opposition, in terms of productivity, mode of production, Cultural, military and other aspects are constantly moving forward, it is precisely in this case the currency matures to form their own unique form of currency was later known as the four monetary system: cloth money system, circulation in the Yellow River In the middle reaches of the Sanjin area, farming areas from the ”shovel“ evolved; knife currency system, mainly popular in Qi Yan Zhao San Guo, is hand tools from the ”cut“ evolved; money system, developed by the spinning wheel Come from; Chu currency system, popular in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River basin.From these four kinds of coin development system, the first three no doubt Produced from work, is to imitate the means of production of labor, in the ”ancient West is based on farming, so as tools for the currency, the east coast, and more engaged in fishing and hunting, so the knife is the currency." And it? That is not to imitate agricultural tools nor from the hand